April 7, 2008

Game One Box Score || Game Two Box Score

The Peacock baseball team continued their twelve-game home stand Sunday splitting a doubleheader with Northern State at Robertson Woods Field. Upper Iowa dropped the first game in an offensive slugfest 13-10, but answered in the second game with an 11-1 victory thanks to a complete game from pitcher Greg Sieck. The Peacocks record moves to 10-18 on the season and 8-6 in the Northern Sun Conference.

In the first game, the Wolves struck first blood, posting two runs off Peacock starter Zach Raff. In the bottom half of the inning, the Peacocks scratched back with a run as Kreston Albright scored on a shot to centerfield off the bat of Nick Fjelland.

The Wolves scored another run in the top half of the second, but the Peacocks again answered with a pair of runs as Albright singled to right center scoring Josh McKeon and Seth Fox to tie the score at 3-3.

In the third, the Wolves exploded for five runs, three of which came before the Peacocks recorded an out. Mitch McClay entered the game in relief. The Peacocks once again came back to pick up a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning thanks to Brock Spangenberg's fourth homerun of the weekend. At the end of three, Upper Iowa trailed 8-5.

The Wolves took back their five-run lead in the fourth, but Upper Iowa was prepared to rally again. The Peacocks scored five runs on three hits including a two-RBI double to left center by designated hitter Lucas Wilsing, which scored Marcus Thompson and Fjelland.

Unforturnately, the Peacocks were not able to muster any more run support for relief pitcher Brian Putnam, who was now on the hill for UIU. Northern State posted two runs in the sixth inning and another run in the seventh to defeat the Peacocks 13-10 in the first game of the doubleheader. The three runs came on two homeruns to left by the Wolves against Putnam, who took the loss for Upper Iowa.

In game two, Upper Iowa got off to an early 4-0 lead after the first two innings, aided in part by four Wolves' wild pitches by NSU starter Nick Wallentiny. After Greg Sieck gave up a run in the third, the game remained 4-1 until the Peacocks exploded in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on two hits. One of the hits came from left fielder Tom Longoni, who singled up the middle to score Wilsing and Thompson.

The Peacocks added three more in the sixth to earn an 11-1 decision in game two. Upper Iowa finished the series by taking three of four from Northern State. Sieck, the Peacock starter, tossed a complete game six-hitter surrendering one run while striking out six batters. The win was Sieck's first victory of the season.

The Peacocks will continue defending Robertson Woods Field this Wednesday, Apr. 9, as they play host to future-NSIC opponent Minnesota State in a doubleheader scheduled for 2:00 PM.